Mass Effect: Vengeance
by DKDiamantes
Summary: Aida is the son of a once famous Turian during the First Contact War. Aida deeply loved and respected everything his father did and had no greater hope than to one day live up to his family name of Vinoir. But all that changed when the Humans made their presence on the Universe felt, all of Aida's dreams and hopes changed when the Humans took the most precious part of Aida's life.
1. Chapter 1

The First Contact War, the Relay 314 Incident, many Turians had forgotten about it. Worse than that, Turians all over Palaven were accepting the human plague in fear of a new Reaper threat. The Primarchs and the Hierarchy were no help, they were the worst of them all. Telling Turians to put the past behind them, to move forward for the good of the universe, for the good of the Council and their newborn baby species. But there were still Turians that remembered what happened, Turians that remembered the blood spilled because a species of ignorant flesh bags ventured where they didn't belong. There were still Turians that had a score to settle with the humans, still Turians that hadn't forgotten their mothers, fathers, and children lost to the human filth. No one seems to remember that they were ready for war when Shanxi fell, ready to purge the galaxy of that impudent newborn race. They would have too, the Turian fleet was the strongest in the Citadel, even too formidable for the former Krogan hordes. But frail notions of peace and unity ruined that, a Council too afraid of real action ruined that.

It didn't matter what stories came of the renowned Commander Shepherd, it didn't matter if he saved the Galaxy from Collector and fought the Reapers for the sake of all races. Shepherd was human.

Humans stole Aida's father from him.

His mission was not interstellar peace among the races. His mission was not Reapers and fairy tales.

His mission was redemption for his father and for his people.

Aida's father was Janus Vinoir, a general of the Turian army. Such a high status made him an honored soldier in the eyes of the people, Aida was proud to say that he was the son of such a man, proud to bear the name Vinoir. His father was the embodiment of all a Turian should be. A proud soldier, whenever the Turian Fleet went to battle, Janus was in the thick of it. Leading his men at the front lines, uncommon for even a Turian of his rank. When asked about the dangers this presented, Aida's father would always say, "How can my men fight for me... if they never see me fighting for them?". His men revered Janus as their shield.

Aida was so very proud of his father. This pride swelled in him and made him a better soldier for it. His name, Vinoir, held great weight and he knew he had to make his father proud. Before the typical training when he came of age, Aida studied war tactics and strategy. It made his family proud, Janus especially. Janus wasn't around much, but when he would receive word or see vid-coms of his boy, Aida, trying so hard to live up to the name his father gave him, no Turian father could be prouder. Janus knew that when Aida took his place among the Turian fleet there would be no question of his worth, no question that it wasn't just his name that earned him the right to serve the Turian race.

When the Relay 314 Incident broke out, Palaven was in an uproar for the unknown alien's blood. Not only did an unknown alien species break Council law, but they refused to accept their punishment for it, they even somehow managed to hold off the Turian fleet from invading Shanxi for a short period. Aida was not yet fifteen at the time, still self-teaching himself about the art of war. Janus was one of the first sent to take Shanxi back from the vermin that had inhabited it. The Turians would bring such a foolish race to their knees, they would restore justice. What sort of barbaric species would think they could just activate any dormant relay they wanted, even as a child Aida knew better than this. Everyone knew of the Rachni War, everyone knew not to break such a Council law.

Aida remembered the night before his father left, Janus was sitting on his bed telling him war stories. Aida didn't even remember what the stories were about, to be with him was enough. His whole life, since he was old enough to look upon his father, was to be like his father. To serve his people like his father, to be a Turian that Janus would be proud of.

The next day his father was gone, a framed photo sat perched on Aida's night stand. It was a picture of Janus and Aida's mother, the day he was born. His mother held him in her arms and Janus stood there in his armor, a brilliant white outlined in a honey yellow color. Janus wasn't smiling in the picture, exactly, but he looked about as happy as a Turian General could.

As the first wave of reports came in from the front lines, Aida was not surprised. Janus' platoon pushed through the alien's defense line, never once retreating or backing down, and plowed their way right onto Shanxi. They finally knew their enemy was not Prothean, but a new species called Humans. It didn't take long before word came to Palaven that Shanxi had been retaken completely and the human horde's main force surrendered. The war efforts were going so well that Janus was going to come home earlier than expected, just some routine sweeps on their main encampment of Shanxi for any outbreaks of rebellion and he'd be home in a few months.

But that never happened, in about a months' time the humans came back with an even bigger force that the Turians hadn't anticipated. The Turians on Shanxi were caught completely by surprise, they had no idea that the humans could amass such a force. Palaven couldn't help them either, given how far out Shanxi was reinforcements wouldn't get there in time. They had enough trouble shipping basic dextro supplies out there to support the troops, the Hierarchy could do nothing for them except start preparations for a full scale war with the humans.

Janus never returned.

Aida held out hope, he knew how admirable a soldier his father was. He would never leave the battlefield until he knew every last Turian in the fleet was safe, so Aida had no expectations to see Janus on the first ships returning from Shanxi. It seemed like every soldier had a story to tell about Janus' bravery.

After a few weeks, Janus started waiting at the space docks every day. Soldier after soldier poured out, wounded, limping, and bitter that they were forced from a battle. Aida anxiously waited for his father, almost every soldier knew Aida, each one put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "You should be proud", they'd say. Aida would extend his mandibles slightly for a forced smile and salute the soldiers.

It went on like that for almost a month, ships came in at scattered intervals. Soldiers spoke of the human fleet that surprised them and drove them from Shanxi. Many of the soldiers wondered how such a fledgling race could have such an incredible force waiting in the wings. Sarcastically, however, most of them simply wanted to get their cuts cleaned and healed for their own counter-attack against the humans. If they thought they had an impressive fleet... they would know fear when they looked upon the full force of the Turians.

But Janus was still missing, no matter how many of the streamlined white and red trimmed dreadnoughts and fighters docked at the spaceport, Janus never came. Aida could feel his stomach turn, hoping that the next ship would harbor his father.

When passing Aida, after getting off of a particularly damaged cruiser, a single Turian came up to Aida and knelt down to his level. Two long skinny fingers gripping Aida's shoulder tightly, he recognized this Turian, Lieutenant Kyrie... he always sortied with Janus, no matter what.

"Listen, Aida... your father...", his voice was pained and hollow, he couldn't bear to look at Aida.

Aida looked blankly at Lieutenant Kyrie.

"I was the last person to... to see him. We were dug in at a rundown warehouse, they were pounding us with such overwhelming numbers it was the only place we could find shelter. I thought it was the end. I thought we were...", his rough Turian voice cracked and broke, trying to keep his emotions in check in front of Aida.

"Your father, he... he told us to slip out the back. He told us he would go out the front and hold them off himself, so that we...so that we could make it back to Palaven, so that...", his voice dipped again, he shrouded his face with his free hand, skinny scaly fingers trembling.

"He just smiled at us, the last Turians on Shanxi... then he stormed out with his submachine gun blazing, I could hear the heat sinks rattling off so fast. He died so that we... so that we may live and fight... for him. For Palaven. For the honor of Turians like him, ones that sacrificed everything for our people... your father will not soon be forgotten", he said finally looking up at Aida.

Aida had no words. His mouth was open, but nothing came out.

"I am... so sorry, Aida...", the last words Lieutenant Kyrie would say before limping away.

Aida didn't cry, he wanted to, very much. But he knew his father would frown upon it, Janus would tell him to stop sniveling. He'd tell him to stand up straight, deal with it like a Turian, and never let it know you were hurt. Aida tried to, really hard... but he still cried. He knew his father died a hero and would be put into the great histories of the Turian platoons. He knew the name Janus Vinoir would be remembered by all soldiers that came back from Shanxi.

But in the end, he was still just a Turian boy who lost his dad.

A part of Aida wanted to curl up and hide. The loss of his father was the worst thing to ever happen to him. He knew he should be proud of the heroism that his father displayed, for the Turian people, at the end of his life. Aida knew that he should have raised his head high and been proud to call himself the son of Janus Vinoir, and he was. But a part of him felt hollow that he would never see his father again, that he would never look upon him again because of a species too stubborn and ignorant to know their place in the universe. A part of him wanted, more than anything, to avenge his father and do his part to secure Turian dominance over the humans.

In the coming weeks, the preparations for an all-out attack on the humans were almost complete. Aida wanted to be a part of that attack on the humans, he wanted human blood. He wanted not only Shanxi, but their home world, to run rampant with their blood.

But there was a problem, he was only 13 at the time. He had only self-trained up until this point, reading books on tactics and war. They would never put him in a platoon, however Aida still stood in front of the largest military base on Palaven with a confusing sense of anxiety deep in is gut. He wanted to be here more than anything, fighting for his people and fighting for his father. He didn't want to wait another two years but a Turian enlisting before the age of 15 was unheard of and Turians weren't exactly known for breaking their pre-determined rules. The base was massive, there were numerous silver towers that shot up so far into the sky that Aida couldn't see the tops of them. Steel plated walls surrounded the barracks where the soldiers stayed on base, the walls must have been at least 20 feet tall and provided the soldiers with a small degree of comfort and safety while off-duty. Turian Cruisers zipped in and out of sight above, slipping in and out of their mass effect fields in the blink of an eye.

Aida just stood there and took a deep breath, it was all a little overwhelming for him as he climbed the steps before him. The stairs seemed to go on forever, solid concrete leading up and up to what looked like the biggest and thickest tower on the base. A few soldiers passed by him, some saluted because they knew his father and others looked to be in too much of a hurry to pay him any mind. They were gearing up for war, such things were to be expected. When he finally reached the base of the tower, there were two enormous glass double doors in front of him, but the glass was strange… almost tinted white so you couldn't see beyond it. Aida pushed the doors open with all his might, the door moved slowly then rapidly, Aida collapsed forward as all of the momentum from pushing the door suddenly threw him onto his stomach.

"What happened…?" Aida said as he rubbed his jaw, rising to his knees.

Lieutenant Kyrie was standing above him, his hand easily holding the door open as if it weighed nothing. He couldn't help but smirk at Aida and shake his head.

"Scoping out your future place of employment?" Kyrie said, tugging Aida to his feet with his free hand.

Aida didn't smile or laugh, he looked up at Kyrie, who was at least two heads taller than he was. His armor wrapped around his neck, solid black with strips of red with matching lights. These were the colors reserved for high ranking officers, Turians that earned their place in the fleet. Aida wanted that someday and he wanted to get an early start.

"I want to enlist, Lieutenant" Aida said, without any hesitation.

Kyrie smiled and put his hand on Aida's head, Kyrie's hand was almost as big as the slicked back crest that all Turian heads were recognizable by. His gloves were cold, Aida felt a shiver run down his spine.

"When you're old enough, lad."

Aida retracted his head and glared at Kyrie.

"I'm old enough now, Kyrie, and you know it. I belong in the coming war." Aida shouted.

Kyrie shook his head, turning his back to Aida.

"War is no place for children, Aida, the battlefield is no place for someone so young as you." Kyrie spoke softly, almost at a whisper.

"My father was killed by human hands, Kyrie, you saw it. General Vinoir may have died a hero, but he still died. If anyone should be in this war, if anyone should aid the Turian fleet in crushing the humans…" Aida paused for a moment, he couldn't see Kyrie's face but he could see his head bow downward slightly.

Kyrie sighed and looked over his shoulder, "Then it should be a Vinoir… right?"

Aida looked back at Kyrie, determined.

Kyrie started walking away, "Come on then, I'll see what I can do."

Aida's heart wouldn't stop racing, he didn't want to say anything or make an outburst that would make him look like a child. A Turian soldier was supposed to be disciplined, not a sniveling child that let his emotions get in the way of his service to not only the Hierarchy… but all Turian people. Aida walked closely behind Kyrie, they passed by so many soldiers and fighters. Some of them peered at Aida, a glimmer of recognition in their eyes, maybe they saw Janus in him. Aida could hear whispers as they traveled through the silvery halls, he could hear them talking about how he was the son of General Vinoir, the son of a War Hero.

Aida nudged Kyrie with his elbow, "What was my father like?"

Kyrie peered over his shoulder at Aida, "You didn't know your own father, boy?"

Aida drew his mandibles inward, almost trying to hide his face, "It's not that I just… he wasn't around much and all I saw were the videos on the extranet. I admired him so much and looked up to him, but I never really…"

Aida stopped, he didn't want to sound like he was ungrateful for the life his father had given him. He certainly didn't want to sound like he would have rather had Janus stay around and forget serving his people in the fleet.

Kyrie put a hand on Aida's shoulder, "Your father was stubborn as a Salarian mule, just like you."

Kyrie stopped for a moment, looking at Aida.

"He was brave, Aida. Everyone told him a General shouldn't be in the front lines, but he wouldn't listen. He fought alongside us, his men. I tried to convince him not to stay by himself, I… wanted to at least stay with him until the end." Kyrie's voice broke slightly, he coughed into his hand trying to cover it.

"Aida."

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"There was no braver Turian than your dad."

Kyrie opened a large door, it led to gigantic room with several long lines of Turians that were about the same size as Aida. Many of them squinted their eyes, angered, as Kyrie pushed up to the very front with Aida. The noise was what unhinged Aida, everyone was talking and roaring about how they would be the next Hero of Palaven. Turian boys talking about how they'll be on the front lines covered in human blood. They all wanted human heads to roll. The Turian sitting behind a large pedestal up front looked tired, his hand pressed hard against his face. He looked down at Kyrie and Aida, rolling his eyes.

"Kyrie, there is a line for a reason. You can't just…"

His eyes finally fell up Aida completely, his complexion changed, mandibles spread wide as his hands gripped onto his pedestal, leaning over to get a better look at him.

"That's Janus' boy… isn't it?"

Kyrie simply nodded, the room became silent all at once. There were no longer boisterous chants of how courageous they thought they would be in war. Just silence at the mention of Janus Vinoir.

Aida had a lot to live up to.

Aida was admitted to undergo military training despite his age, off of the respect his last name garnered for him. It was the least the Turian race could do for the son of a man that sacrificed everything for not only his men, but what he believed was the betterment of the entire galaxy by holding off the human hordes. For a General that died so that every last Turian could make it back to Palaven to strengthen their counterattack.

But Aida's life would be anything but ideal. He had to undergo a year of Boot Camp training just like any other fifteen year old. Kyrie worried about this ordeal, there were no shortage of Turians that died from the intensity of the boot camps, after all the purpose was basically to weed out the weak Turians and allow only the strongest and smartest of the Turians into the military. Boot Camp instructors were strictly told to make every effort to protect the trainees, however, the Hierarchy also made sure they knew that some… accidents… are also unavoidable when training a soldier for war.

The Boot Camps were secluded away from the tall silver buildings of the main city of Palaven, they were deep in the heavy white mountains, away from civilized life. One of the things Kyrie worried most about was the fact that they were so far away, unquestionably, but to be that far away and with the instructor that was chosen for Aida…

The instructor that was chosen for Aida was a Turian named Gren Reilder, known by all as having the highest death ratio among his trainees. His methods were the most extreme out of any instructor and he was feared among even the strongest of Turians. He would have been jailed or even executed but one fact saved him and kept him employed as an instructor; every Turian that made it the full year with Gren… became a war hero. He may have had extreme methods that killed countless Turians, but the Hierarchy was willing to look past it because he produced such exemplary soldiers and who better to train and forge a war hero out of the young son of Vinoir?

Kyrie and Aida waited outside the halls of the main barracks for transport, not long from now Aida would be packed into a shuttle and carted off to the deepest and darkest reaches of Palaven's mountain range. Kyrie looked more nervous than Aida did, fearful for the son of the General he respected so much. Aida remained still, while Kyrie twitched and fidgeted with his hands and legs. Kyrie found it impossible to sit still, he couldn't stand the thought of Aida dying before he even got a chance to live up to his father's name.

Kyrie tightly gripped onto Aida's shoulder, "It's not too late to change your mind, Aida"

Aida shook his head, "This is what I want, Kyrie, and this is what father would want"

"You don't understand, Aida, this isn't some game… Gren isn't going to take it easy on you and pamper you just because your last name is Vinoir. He isn't going to just shut his mouth like those kids in the enrollment room did, he's going to want to crush you even more. He's going to try to kill you, can't you see that!"

Aida simply nodded his head, "I know."

Kyrie spun around, putting his scaly fingers over his crest, "If you know then why…"

Kyrie took a deep breath, sucking in the hot arid air of Palaven before looking back to Aida, "Listen to me, Aida, I… I know you want to live up to your father. But do you know how hard it was for me to leave Janus? Do you know how hard it was for me to leave him there on Shanxi, to leave him to die alone?"

"He was my father, how do you think I felt?"

Kyrie sighed, peering towards the ground, "Aida… he'd never forgive me if I… if I let you…"

Aida reached out and put both hands on the shoulders of Kyrie, he had to reach up a little but he pushed Kyrie down to his level, "Lieutenant, you've been nothing but loyal to my family. You were there for my father in his last moments and you are here for my most important one. I will not fall, Kyrie. I will help Palaven protect the galaxy from the humans, I will do what my father dreamed of in his last moments. Do not have fear for me, Kyrie, know that I will make my father proud. If it means enduring Gren and rising from the dead to do so… then I will. Nothing will stop me, Kyrie. Nothing."

Kyrie sighed, shaking his head as his mandibles fluttered slightly with a smile, "You are your father's son, of that there is no doubt"


	2. Chapter 2

The transport settled in front of Aida and Kyrie with a low hum, the front end of the transport sleek and thin with a red pattern trimmed down the side like most Turian crafts, but the back end extended and widened for its various sized cargo. Aida lugged his pack over his shoulders and made his way for the entrance to transport, the Turian driving the transport looked over at Aida and closed the door before he could enter.

"What's the meaning of this?" Aida asked.

"Orders from Gren, recruits aren't allowed to bring anything with them. All you get is your wits. You can argue all you want, kid, but I'm not disobeying orders from Gren, not for a rat faced punk like you." the driver snarled.

Kyrie tried to step forward in Aida's defense, but Aida put his arm out to stop him. Aida simply dropped his pack and waited for the driver to reopen the door. When the driver finally opened the door, Aida walked in and stopped for a moment behind the pilot, looking into a sea of empty seats in disbelief. He could only see ten other Turians besides himself in a transport made to seat at least one hundred.

"How many more stops are we making?"

The pilot snorted, "You're the last one."

Aida stood there in silence for a moment, the other Turians in the transport looked scared, afraid of their final destination. The Turian closest to Aida, sitting in the middle of the transport, had a number of very visible scars on its face, the scarred Turian looked the most afraid and timid. Aida walked over to the scarred Turian and sat down as the transport slowly started to hum and move. The scarred Turian looked scared when Aida sat down, the scarred Turian was much skinnier up close and the scars much more horrific, they were an awful blue color, some still fresh with blood. Aida held his hand out and the scarred Turian immediately flinched.

"Easy... I'm not going to hurt you, brother." Aida said in a soft whisper.

The scarred Turian opened its eyes and looked down at Aida's hand, extended. The scarred Turian was hesitant to hold out its own hand, it wouldn't stop shaking.

"My name is Aida, you have nothing to fear from me."

The scarred Turian gripped onto Aida's hand, he had a weak grip.

"I'm... I'm... Neira..." the scarred Turian said in a light whisper of a voice.

Aida looked closer at the scarred Turian, the scars on its face and the bruises were so intense that he couldn't even tell that the scarred Turian was a female. Aida looked closer, her crest was short and jagged at the ends, like it had been cut off slowly with an Omni-tool Blade. Her chin was swollen and stuck out far past what was left of her mandibles... sadly it looked like those suffered the same fate as her crest, the stubs that were left barely extended past her mouth. She looked like she was drowning in a suit of Turian armor, black as the rough skin around her jade green eyes, several sizes too big for her, to make her look as bulky and stocky as possible. There was no way she didn't notice Aida staring at her.

"My father... he... always wanted a son."

Aida's face whipped back towards her, "Your father... he did this to you?"

Neira nodded, "It's my own fault... for not being born a male. He was in the military and wanted a son who would succeed him, instead I..."

Her voice trailed off into the air, Aida couldn't take his eyes off her. Such cruelty and malice shown to one's own blood was beyond his comprehension, his mouth hung open slightly as he listened to her.

"He just... was trying to make me a better Turian. To act more like a male would, to endure what a male would. I should... strive to be a soldier, to fight for Palaven. He wanted me to be a great hero, to be the one that recorded our family name for future generations of Turians to honor. That's why he picked Gren to..." her voice trailed off again, obviously afraid.

She tried to smile back at Aida, but it was almost as if her face would not allow a smile to form. Aida leaned forward and cupped his hands over his mouth, eyes wide with horror. He couldn't understand it, his whole life his father had tried to instill him with honor and respect for his fellow Turian, he thought every one in the military and on Palaven felt the same. But this... it was beyond horrible. Aida looked to the back of the transport, the other few Turians were all scattered and nowhere near each other, they seemed to be staring out the window as if it was the last time they'd see the scenery.

"If you're afraid... I understand... you can sit somewhere else..." the words escaped her mouth with ease, as if she'd said those words many times before.

Aida shook his head, "No, it's... it's fine, I just... your own father."

Neira looked down at the ground, folding her skinny hands together in her lap, "I don't... blame him really. He just wanted what was best for our people... for Palaven. Having a weak female wouldn't do him any good so... he... gave me a second chance to live and be useful."

The words were obviously forced, it pained Aida to hear her try to defend the monster that did this to her. He couldn't think of anything to say, what could he say? He just stared at her, her face mutilated to what her father thought an honorable male Turian should look like, what an honorable Turian soldier should look like...

Aida was snapped back from his trance when the transport jutted to a forceful stop that lunged him forward slightly. He heard a loud yell come from the front...

"We're here!"

A loud whirr filled the transport, hot humid air immediately rushed in and swamped Aida in the face. Aida knelt down slightly, clutching his throat, it felt like the hot air completely filled his lungs and made it hard to breath. He looked up slightly to his side, Neira simply stood up, with her eyes closed, as if it felt like a gentle summer breeze on her face. Aida stumbled slightly to his feet, Neira grabbed hold of his shoulder and helped him up, from outside the transport came a thunderous voice that echoed against the walls.

"If you're not out of there in ten seconds... I open fire!"

The other eight Turians looked at each other, confused and still gasping for air in the same manner Aida just was. Neira seemed to be the only one unaffected by the immense arid heat that now filled the transport. Aida found himself almost completely unable to move, every little movement seemed to suck every ounce of strength from his body.

"Nine!"

Neira put Aida's arm around her shoulder and did her best to try to move him to the door, but Aida was so much bigger than her and she was so frail that they barely made it into the aisle of the transport before tumbling to the floor. Neira got caught under Aida as they fell, struggling to move and trapped under the much bigger Turian.

"Eight, and I don't see anyone MOVING!"

Aida clawed at the hard metal floor, trying to drag himself, and Neira still clutched to his shoulder, across the floor to the transport exit. Aida gritted his sharp teeth together, crying out in agony as every painstaking clutch against the floor suddenly felt like he was grabbing the fire of a sun. The arid destructive heat had already superheated the metal floor, practically burning any naked flesh touching it.

"Seven, maybe you little shits need some incentive to get the hell out of there!"

Suddenly the sound of a gun firing outside the transport caused every one in the transport to whip their heads in fear towards the sound.

"Live rounds, kids, I suggest some urgency... SIX!"

Aida used what felt like every thing he had to slightly roll to his left, giving Neira just enough room to scoot out from underneath him.

"Get out of here... I can't..." Aida couldn't say another word, it felt like his tongue was about to turn to ash in his mouth.

Neira shook her head and grabbed Aida's hand and began slowly dragging him across the metal floor, his armor making a high pitch shrill as it scrapped along. A few other Turians had managed to stumble their way into the aisles, but none of them were as close to the exit as Neira and Aida, they had a mere few feet to go. Neira was squatted almost all the way to the ground, tugging with every bit of strength she could muster to drag Aida a few more inches.

"Five seconds left until I start making this boot camp a real SHORT one!"

Aida could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness, just forcing his eyes open was a rigorous effort that felt like his last act on Palaven. He just wanted to keep his eyes closed, when he closed his eyes his whole body cooled and he was free of pain, the universe was beautiful and without pain when he closed his eyes. He tried to keep his eyes open, but the wave of pain and immeasurable heat that swarmed him forced his eyes shut.

When Aida's eyes shut he was overcome with relief, it was dark and cold... a paradise compared to the alternative. Nothing mattered in this cold little void Aida found himself in, he was comfortable as he curled into a ball and felt himself dip deeper and deeper into its embrace.

_Aida..._

He could barely hear it, sinking further into the arctic blackness that now cradled him. All of his pain was slowly fading away, slowly being lifted from his rough scaled skin.

_Aida..._

Aida raised his head slightly, he couldn't see anything, he could only feel the rigid chill in the air.

"Leave me..." he whispered gently.

_Don't..._

"Just leave me..."

_Aida..._

_Wake up._

Aida's eyes shot open, he tried to take a deep breath but gagged on lungs full of fire. He could feel Neira's skinny fingers clutched around the back of his neck, pulling as hard as she could. Aida started to push with his feet, slowly moving inch by torturous inch, clutching his arms around Neira's waist. Aida couldn't see anything, his eyes were glossed over and watery from the intense heat. The only thing that kept him moving was hearing Neira's fragile voice.

"Keep pushing… keep moving… we're almost there… almost there…"

Aida could feel a breeze against his face, it felt like a flamethrower scorching his face… but he knew he was close now. He pushed with his legs as hard as he could, gripped Neira as hard as he possibly could so as not to lose her. He couldn't open his eyes, she was his eyes.

"ONE SECOND, you little shits! If you're still in that damn transport when my count hits zero…"

The fiery air pushed against Aida's face, like nature itself was trying to push him back into the transport. He was close, so close… he could hear Neira tell him how close they were. He pushed as hard as he could… but he suddenly felt a force on his shoulder push him over. Neira let out a harsh grunt, he could feel her weight collapse on top of him. Aida's hand flung outward, he could feel the soil under his hand but he was still on the transport. He could just barely hear a commotion, he didn't know how many people made it out of the transport, but there was a lot of yelling and then he could hear the spray of gunfire… Aida tightly shut his eyes, didn't try to open them, he felt Neira against his chest before he blacked out completely.


	3. Chapter 3

Aida could barely open his eyes, he tried to take a deep breath in but all he got was a mouth full of fire. He lurched forward, magma the color of blood seeped out of his lips burning his chin and hands as he cupped them against his face. It felt like he was going to explode from the inside out, Aida tried to keep the fire from pouring out of his mouth but it kept slipping through his skinny fingers with every pained cough and wheeze. With every strained movement, his head became soaked in sweat that felt like it was boiling him in his own skin. He tried to look around, but all he saw was a brilliant yellowish white color that burned his retina. The only comfort were the thin fingers gently rubbing his neck.

Aida could hear a lot of shouting and screaming, when he tried opening his eyes they just looked like cloudy black shadows in front of the light burning his eyes.

"You call yourself a Turian!? You're nothing but a gutless coward, you see TWO Turians, one a FEMALE, dying on the floor, CLAWING for their god damn lives... and your first instinct...", even over all of the shouting and screaming Aida could hear the loud sound of spit flying through the air.

"Your first god damn instinct is to bludgeon the two dying Turians and make your life easier. Putting your own well being ahead of another one of your people... you're no fucking Turian at all."

The sound of knuckles sloshing against wet flesh resonates through the stagnant air, Aida struggles to raise his head, desperately shading his eyes with a blood soaked hand. He could barely make out the scarred visage of Gren, both hands steadily holding a military issued Phaeston, and a Turian lying almost motionless at his feet.

"Today... today I do Palaven a great service. I do her the HONOR of ridding her of a BASTARD son. I do her the SERVICE of strengthening her children by pulling out a weed of a Turian. OUR world has no use for cowards with no honor. Palaven embraces the STRONG... not pathetic maggots like this thing."

Gren rests the barrel of the Phaeston on the lips of the motionless Turian, gargled moans ring out and the Turian flails trying to resist. None of the other recruits have enough strength to protest or try to save the Turian, all of them are in similar agony to Aida.

"Today, Palaven grows stronger."

Aida shut his eyes tightly as Gren pulls the trigger, a single shot echoes through the mountains. Silence, the groans of agony cease and all of Palaven seemed to dip into quiet.

The fire burned Aida's eyes.


End file.
